Fall Potato Salad with Smoked Trout and Green Beans

It’s definitely not too late to plan a picnic when the cool, crisp days of autumn arrive. In New England where I live the exquisite fall foliage  is reason enough to plan an outdoor meal.  You can also pair an autumn picnic with a special activity. Plan a hike or organize a biking excursion, then follow that with a delicious al fresco spread. And for football fans, what’s more appropriate than a scrumptious tailgate picnic.

A delectable potato salad studded with slivers of smoked trout and sliced green beans makes a colorful centerpiece for an open air menu. This trio of ingredients is tossed in a white wine Continue reading

Lime and Ginger Cream Cheese Bars

Lime Ginger Cream Cheese Bars 1 3383x2728These rich creamy bars with their bracing citrus accent and crisp gingersnap crust are irresistible, yet quite easy to make. For the crust you’ll need only three ingredients–ground ginger snaps, sugar, and melted butter. This mixture, packed into a pan and baked for a few minutes, is topped with a cheesecake-type batter flavored with bits of crystallized ginger and lime. The mixture is baked 25 minutes, and then a final addition of sour cream, sugar, and lime zest is spread over the thin cream cheese layer. Five more minutes of baking and this dessert is done! Continue reading

Summer Vegetable Galettes

Mid to  late summer is the season for exquisite produce at my local farmers’ market. There are bins at each stand brimming with vegetables in vibrant hues. This irresistible produce was the inspiration for the following recipe for savory vegetable tarts. The tart shells are made with purchased puff pastry sheets that are cut into squares. A creamy spread of goat cheese and Parmesan is smoothed over  Continue reading

Potato Salad with Chorizo and Chives

This potato salad is a new and delicious twist on tradition. Small red skin potatoes, boiled in their skins, then quartered, and chopped hard-boiled eggs form the base, and are accented by bits of chorizo, a smoked Spanish sausage available in many supermarkets. It is the chorizo with its subtle smokiness that makes this potato salad so distinctive. These three ingredients are tossed together in a mustard and shallot vinaigrette, then sprinkled with snipped chives. Continue reading

Lemon Pudding “Cakes”

Lemon pudding “cakes” are actually a cross between a pudding and a light, airy souffle-like cake. In the following recipe, you simply cream butter and sugar, and then add egg yolks, lemon juice and zest along with milk and a small amount of flour. Finally, you fold in beaten egg whites, and bake until the batter is set. When done, the pudding cakes seem to divide into two distinct layers, an airy cake-like layer on top and a dense rich pudding one on the bottom. They are heaven to eat either warm, at room temperature, or chilled. Continue reading

Orzo with Peas, Mint, and Parmesan

Brimming with color and bursting with flavor, this recipe for buttered orzo tossed with peas, fresh mint, and Parmigiano Reggiano cheese makes a delectable spring side dish. Try it as a partner to roasted salmon or chicken, or with grilled lamb chops or sautéed scallops. This recipe works well with frozen peas, but if fresh ones are available, definitely use them. They will need 3 to 4 minutes cooking time while the frozen ones will require only a couple of minutes. Continue reading

Warm Roasted Vegetable Salad

This versatile salad, which looks quite distinctive, but is simple to assemble, can be used as a starter or a side. You can vary the vegetables, but make certain that you coordinate the roasting times of your produce accordingly.For this version sliced carrots, white turnip wedges, and quartered baby Yukons are roasted for half an hour, while sugar snaps and green onions need only about 10 minutes. The vinaigrette dressing can be whisked together and the vegetables roasted several hours ahead so there’s no last minute prep. Continue reading

Chicken Schnitzels with Watercress, Cucumber, Radish Salad

Years ago when I was a college student studying in Europe, I tasted Wiener Schnitzel for the first time in Vienna, the city whose name is part of the title of this Austrian favorite. . Fried in butter until crisp and golden, then served with a lemon wedge, these thinly sliced breaded veal cutlets seemed to melt in my mouth. For years I made this dish with veal, but then discovered that chicken works equally well. I added some contemporary touches to this new version by including smoked paprika along with the usual salt and pepper seasonings, replacing traditional bread crumbs with panko (coarse Japanese bread crumbs), and opting for canola oil instead of butter for frying. Continue reading

Bittersweet Chocolate Caramel Bars

For Valentine, why not try these scrumptious chocolate caramel bars composed of three sublime layers- a buttery crust, a caramel center, and a dark chocolate coating! They can be prepared 2 days ahead so there’s no last minute work, and the recipe, which yields 16 bars, can be doubled or tripled depending on your needs. Continue reading

Super Bowl Chili

Whether for Super Bowl bashes or casual, cold-weather suppers, the chili recipe that follows is perfect for such gatherings. Ground beef, onions, carrots, and garlic are sautéed, then simmered in stock along with tomatoes and traditional seasonings of chili powder, cumin, and oregano. Chopped chipotle peppers in adobo sauce add a hint of smoke and heat, while black beans replace the usual red ones. This dish improves in flavor when made a day or two in advance, and yields 8 generous bowlfuls. Continue reading